Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-12-02

Correspondence of the n. Y. World'I
DENVER, Nov. 1G.-In a humble
home on Snake River, near the
boundary line between Colorado
and Wyoming, lives Jim Baker,
He is iamiliarly known as the Old
Man of the Mountains. For over
fifty years he has been hunter, trap
per. scout and guide on the frontier.
After half a century Of thrilling ad-
venture, both on the plains and ID
the mountains, his almost ircn con-
stltution refuses to yield its strength
to changing time. He is now over
eighty years of age, and many say
older, but he laughs at his years
and saws he is still young. His eye
is as keen and quick as the eagles,
even though the burden of four
score years Is resting upon him.
His hair is long and silken and
white as the mountain SHOWS. Ihe
locks are curly, and, flowing tar
down on his shoulders, make him
look verify the patriarch OF the
Rocky Mountain country that he is.
His IS the most characteristic face
on all the frontier, and no Western
artist feels that he has achieved
success until he has painted old
Jim Baker as the finest type and
the last of that old class of hunters
who will ever live in the romance
that has always giveQ a mystery to
the border land between civilization
and the home of the savage. Ills
face Is as rough as the unhewn and
rugged rocks, and the sharp, rough
features show the strength ard
nerve that have always character
lied him.
When jim Baker, with only lis
rifle for a companion, left lndepn-
dence. Mo-, in 1886, which was then
the border line OF civilization, all
of the vast region west of the MIS-
souri river was almost an unknown
and unexplOred cOuntry-a wilder
ness into which adventurous spirits
we're eager to enter. He has seen
a part of this Western country
wrested from foreign powers and
made into territories which have
grown into states. Cities have
sprung mp in the desert aud in the
mountain fastnesses, and great con-
tinental lines of railway have taken
the place of the old.time Indian
trail. Only here and there in thii
great expanse of country did b
find a hunter and trapper; BIT
common wealths have sprung u
since then, and nearly eight M
lion people now live between tie
Missouri river and the Golden Gae'
There is no longer frontierln
the old-time meaning. The trans
from Columbia to the Rio Gnlde
aud from the great plains eat OF
the Rocky Mountains on to thf IA
cidc coast he has traversed hun
dreds of times. There is lot a
mountain range or stream in Ill the
West that he has not crOssd, ana
before even the first streaks OF CIV
ilizati0n came with a new light, he
hunted and trapped for thold iur-
dealers on the COlJmbia. He was
with Fremont and Gilpn when
they first blazed a trail across the
great continental divideio the IA
cifc. tie was a scout with Doni-
Dhan'S men on their famous march
to Mexico, being with Gllpln's de-
tachment. He was a guide for Al
bert Sidney Johnston On his uniOr-
tunate expedition against the Nor
mons, and was a scout with haney
in his great battle with the Indians
at Ash Hollow. There has hardly
been an Indian war N the Welt in
which he has not PARTICIPATED, and
especially those with the indians
on the plains. His last work as a
scout was at the tine Of the Meeker
massacre, when the Utes made iheir
outbreak. For many years hewas
a government scout and was the
old time friend Of Kit Carson, and
next to him acknowledged to bD the
best rifle shot in the West, fOrlet 1t
always be remembered that KitCar.
son never was excelled by any as a
marksman.
KIT CABsON's FRIEND.
Kit Carson and Jim Baker for
years were boon companions and
tried and trusty friends. Together
they fought many a battle with the
Indians and went through huBlreds
of adventures and hair.breatth es-
capes. Hence Kit Carson, spoke
from experience when he sid, 81
have never met man in III the
Rocky Mountain country wO had
a nerve like Jim Baker's.1 They
both married squaws AM lived
happily with them. Bake fell il
love with Shoshone Indin maid
cour.ed her and won her lfter tht
STYLE of her tribe, and by her hat
} raised a family of half-breds well
known in the West. Sme sa!
that Baker and Carson married
sisters, but that can not be stated
as a fact.
Jim Baker first begp TO be
prominent figure on tie frontie
, about the time of the coming o
- - D;lpip I,f ho ba,